Valentine Evenings
by Yami Alchemist
Summary: Fate's Day. A festival like no other in the Underground. Rumor has it strange things happen during this festival. So what happens when Sarah gets invited and Jareth doesn't know about it? What does this "Fate's Day" have in store for them? JarethxSarah!
1. Valentine Evenings

Oh wow, new story. I seem to have a lot of new stories. I apologize to all of my readers for not updating my other stories. It's been a long past couple of months. I swear I will try to update all of them (yes, even my Harry Potter stories) as soon as I get the chance. In the meantime, enjoy this nice little Labyrinth fic that my muse hit me over the head with (literally).

I do NOT own Labyrinth or any of the songs mentioned within this story. If I did, I would so have changed the ending.

Enjoy!

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Valentine Evenings

"_You'll find someone true down in the Underground…" – David Bowie "Underground"_

"So will you come?"

"I don't know, Hoggle," Sarah said as she folded her clothes and put them in her dresser. Hoggle sat on her bed playing with the small plastic bracelet she had given him 6 years ago when they first met. It still amazed him that 6 long years had already passed since her adventure in the Labyrinth. It seemed like only yesterday that he was leading her through the endless maze towards the castle, hoping with every beat of his heart that Jareth wouldn't send him straight to the Bog of Eternal Stench. But the years passed by and while he didn't look all that different, Sarah did. She had grown up into a beautiful young woman. She had grown taller and her body filled out more. Gone was the innocent fairytale obsessed girl of 15. Now she was a fairytale obsessed woman of 21, though not quite as innocent. Indeed, it was her foray into the Labyrinth that marked her transition from who she was then, to who she had become now. And it showed in the way she acted. With a sigh, she folded up a pair of socks and continued, "Aren't I required to have _his_ permission to be there?"

"Not necessarily," Hoggle said as he looked up at her. His eyes widened pleadingly as she turned around to look at him, "As long as someone from the Underground invites you, you can come. It doesn't have to be him."

"Won't he be able to sense that I'm there?" she asked as she sat gracefully down onto her bed and gazed at one of her oldest friends. Her resolve to decline the invitation weakened when she saw the almost puppy dog eyed look he was giving her.

Hoggle shook his head as he said, "There will be so many different creatures come and going to the realm that he won't even notice your presence unless you stand right in front of him. And I don't think you'd be very willing to do that."

Sarah smiled and shook her own head, "No, no, I don't think that'd be a very good idea. He doesn't like me very much as it is."

Hoggle tilted his head and gave her a strange look, but said nothing. He knew she was stubborn in her belief and wouldn't listen to a word he said unless she had solid proof right in front of her. So there wasn't any real point in him trying to convince her otherwise. He slid down off of the bed and faced her as he asked, "So? Will you come?"

She nibbled on her bottom lip thoughtfully for a moment before responding, "It's only for a week?"

"The festival is longer, but that's all you said you'd be able to get away for without anyone knowing," he replied with a shrug, "At least, not without asking him to rewind time for you."

"We already covered that, Hoggle," she said as she stood up and grabbed a bag, shoving different pieces of clothing into it. A few button up shirts, a couple of vests, jeans and dress pants. Her hand paused at the sight of a simple sundress she had bought a few years ago and never got the chance to wear. It was a simple cream colored dress that ended just inches above her knees. The sleeves were thin and there were tiny purple and gold rose like flowers circling the bottom of the dress. The v in front of the dress was rather daring for Sarah's tastes, going almost all the way down to the top of her stomach, but it had enough ruffles in that spot to cover up most of her skin, so she didn't mind it very much. She found it at an old thrift store and bought it on a whim. It was a pretty dress, and for some unknown reason, it reminded her of her time in the Labyrinth. It was probably the ruffles. With a small shrug, she picked it up and put it in the bag with the rest of her clothes. Along with the dress went a pair of flat ballet type shoes. She wasn't one for wearing high heels, and the pair was the same color as her dress.

"Yes, yes, I know," he said with a large smile as he jumped up and down slightly, "Higgle will be so happy to see you. It's been quite a while since you last talk to her."

"I know and I'm very sorry for that," she said as she zipped the bag closed and set it on the bed next to her feet. She looked around her bedroom with her hands on her hips, making sure there wasn't anything she was forgetting. Finally satisfied that she hadn't left anything she didn't need, she turned the small dwarf and asked, "Shall we go then?"

Hoggle grinned largely and held out a gnarled hand to her as he said, "Sarah Williams, I invite you to the Ambar Erin Festival in the Labyrinth."

She placed her hand in his and smiled just as wide as she said, "I accept."

The two disappeared in a flash of magic and glitter that floated calmly down to the carpet of the now empty apartment. Moments later they appeared in front of a very small cottage. A little too small to Sarah's eyes, but just right to Hoggle and Higgle. It looked exactly like a cottage from a fairytale, she realized. It had a chimney, flowers on the window sills and a small garden out back. It was big enough that she was able to crawl through the door without a problem, but still much smaller than a human dwelling. The walls of the cottage were a tan white color with a red sloping roof. Behind the house and garden was a large open field that had more wildflowers growing in it than she could name. She doubted she could name any of the ones in the field simply because they were the Underground's version of wildflowers. If her time in the Labyrinth taught her anything it was that things weren't always what they seemed to be here. Including something as seemingly harmless as wildflowers. Hoggle was already up the tiny walkway and almost in the door when she hurried to catch up to him.

"Higgle! I'm home and I brought company!" he called out as he walked through the door and holding it open for Sarah. She had to get down on her hands and knees to crawl in, but once inside she saw that there was plenty of room for her to sit straight up without knocking her head on the ceiling. Given the size of the two dwarfs, she could only assume that there was some kind of magic involved to make the house bigger than it appeared to be. The room they first entered appeared to be some kind of parlor and Hoggle took her bag from her to set it next to the staircase off to her right. Directly to her left was a large living room that had a warm fire crackling merrily in the fire place. There were two small couches with a beautiful dark wood coffee table sitting in between. Carved into the table were small spirals with leaves and trees that seemed to grow right up out of it. In the far corner she could see a beautiful old grandfather's clock tick away the time silently. On the walls were little decorations. A shelf full of little odds and ends, a book case housing several Aboveground myths based on dwarves, and finally a large painting of a grumpy looking dwarf. Sarah made a mental note to ask Hoggle who it was in the painting later on when she was settled.

A large screech echoed from the kitchen and Sarah tilted her head just enough to the left so she could see what was going on. She had just enough time to notice that the kitchen was very pristine and orderly before she found herself with an armful of a brown haired female dwarf. She hugged back tightly for a moment until the two pulled apart and grinned largely. Higgle looked like an almost exact copy of Hoggle, except for the fact that she wore dresses, had quite a lot less wrinkles, and green eyes instead of blue. Higgle gave Sarah a once over as she laughed and nodded, "So. The ol' boy managed to convince you to come along, eh?"

Sarah nodded as Hoggle sputtered indignantly next to her. He glared at his wife and said, "I'm not that old!"

Higgle laughed, a raspy harsh laugh and shook her head at him. Placing her hands on her hips, she tilted her head upwards and said, "You're older than I am. I get to call you old."

Hoggle muttered under his breath as he walked into the living room. Sarah was just able to catch him saying that he might be old, but he could still move quicker than Higgle could. Sarah merely shook her head with a smile. She missed being around her friends. It had been a while since she last spoke to any of them, so it was nice to do some catching up. Higgle turned and motioned for Sarah to follow her. The two made their way into the kitchen, Sarah stopping every few seconds to make sure she didn't knock anything over. By the time she made her way into the kitchen, Higgle already had two cups of steaming hot tea sitting harmlessly on the kitchen table. She hummed to herself as she added sugar, milk, and honey next to the cups. Sarah looked around the kitchen in curiosity. The walls were a bright yellow and the cupboards white. The kitchen table was round and made completely out of stone. It was beautiful and intricate. The legs and middle was one gigantic piece of stone, and the top was made out of several smaller stones forged together. The chairs were tree stumps with matching cushions. A small window was above the magically powered sink overlooked the lush garden out back. It was cozy. That was the only way she could describe it. Sitting down carefully onto one of the stumps, she added just a little milk and honey to it before taking a sip. She hummed softly in delight as she said, "You being here has done wonders for Hoggle."

"Oh, trust me," Higgle said with a wave of a gnarled hand. Her voice was raspy and deep sounding. It was just a few octaves higher than Hoggle's voice, "I know. When I first moved in here with him, this place was a mess. It took me ages to get the place cleaned up enough to live in. Hoggle was the typical male dwarf alright. A messy hoarder."

Sarah laughed, her voice ringing out like a bell. It filled the small cottage and she missed the sad wistful smile on Higgle's face at the sound. By the time Sarah composed herself, Higgle was smiling kindly at the girl. It was a long time since she had heard anyone laugh so freely, and she marveled at the way everything seemed to light up in the young woman's presence. It was, she realized, the very thing that enabled her husband to become friends with her. Not to mention, the Labyrinth itself liked Sarah. The last time the Labyrinth took a liking to anyone, that person became her king. The girl in front of her would make an excellent queen… She mentally shook her head when she realized that Sarah was speaking to her, "… very good tea."

"I'm glad you like it," she replied with a nod of her big head. She set her cup down and pulled out a small tin of sugar cookies from the cupboard. Placing them on a plate, she offered one to Sarah, who sniffed at it curiously before taking a bite, "I'm surprised you're willing to eat anything in this place after what Hoggle told me last time."

Sarah chewed the piece of cookie slowly, a thoughtful look on her face. She swallowed when she got done chewing and replied, "I trust you and Hoggle. I don't think you'll do anything to hurt me. Such as tying me up and dropping me in front of Jareth's door step, figuratively speaking."

"Oh, by the Labyrinth, no," Higgle said with a wave of her hand as Hoggle padded into the room. He helped himself to a couple of cookies as he looked between the two females. Higgle took a sip of her tea and shook her head, "Every time Hoggle comes within so much as 10 feet of the castle, he gets bogged. Jareth really isn't happy with him. Luckily Ludo and Sir Didymus managed to catch him the handful of times it happened, so mercifully he doesn't stink."

"A downright bit of luck, too," Hoggle said with a sharp nod of his head, "Thanks to you, Sarah, none of us can go near the castle. Not that it means we can't make a living. Jareth does allow us that much, at least."

Sarah glanced down at the cookie in her had with a guilty expression. It was all her fault that Hoggle and her friends couldn't go near the castle. If she hadn't befriended Hoggle, then maybe… No. If she hadn't, then she wouldn't have won. Then both her and Toby would be at the Goblin King's mercy. She fingered the edge of her cookie as she muttered, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Hoggle said, "I'm not. Jareth may scare me, but you showed me the meaning of friendship, Sarah. I wouldn't trade that for the world. Besides, we all had fun anyways. A lot more fun than we had in quite a while, I should say."

"Hoggle's right, Sarah," Higgle said with a firm nod. She stood up and moved around the table to rest her hands on Sarah's shoulders, "If it hadn't been for you, my Hoggle wouldn't have had the courage to come see me and win my heart. So don't be sorry. It's not your fault for anything. Jareth's bruised ego is at fault for this one."

"If you say so," Sarah said. She smiled at Higgle and Hoggle before a sudden yawn took over. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand and made a small noise of surprise.

Higgle laughed and moved away from Sarah, waving her hand at Hoggle. He understood and left the room to get some blankets and pillows for the girl. Higgle wrapped up the remaining cookies tightly and put them back in the cupboard as she said, "I'm afraid we don't have the room in the house for you to sleep, but the field out back is beautiful this time of year. It should be perfect for sleeping outside."

"Is it safe…?" Sarah asked hesitantly as she glanced out the kitchen window at the field. It looked okay. Nothing seemed to be wrong with the field, but she knew that no matter how innocent something looked in this place, it could be deadly. She didn't trust anything to be normal by her standards. The Underground was not a normal place, and even she herself, felt abnormal whenever she was there. Which wasn't often.

Higgle nodded her head and dug out an Aboveground flashlight from one of the many drawers in the kitchen. Sarah didn't even bother asking how Higgle got it, or got it to run, for that matter. In all the years she had known the two dwarves, she knew they had a knack for getting things to work that normally wouldn't. Which was probably why Jareth kept them both around instead of transporting them back to the Dwarf Kingdom. Why else would he keep Hoggle around when he betrayed him knowingly? Sir Didymus and Ludo both were a little too slow to understand just exactly what it was that they had done, but she knew Jareth knew that Hoggle did it knowingly, and willingly. What she couldn't figure out was why Jareth kept Hoggle around as the gardener and Higgle as a kitchen servant in the castle. If he disliked them that much, wouldn't he replace them with other people? He was, after all, the bad guy, and that was something bad guys were supposed to do, right? Sarah took the flashlight Higgle handed her and said quietly, "Higgle… can I ask you a question?"

"Technically you just did," Higgle said as Hoggle came back into the room with an armful of thick blankets and fluffy pillows. She took some from the dwarf and motioned for Sarah to follow her outside.

"Why does Jareth keep you and Hoggle around? I mean," she said in confusion. The warm air outside hit her in the face sharply and she tugged at the collar of her shirt in response, "Isn't he supposed to hate you and do all sorts of mean stuff?"

Higgle gave a tired sigh as she dropped a blanket on the ground. She waved her hand to Sarah, motioning for her to help spread the blanket out. She debated how to tell the girl the truth without seeming too harsh. Really, it was rather sad that the girl had visited the Underground several times and never noticed how Jareth acted. Hoggle, while being quite frank sometimes, just couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth. That job fell to Higgle because she had the most guts out of the two of them. Grabbing an edge of the blanket, she spread her side out at the same time that Sarah spread hers out. She stopped and studied Sarah for a moment, her hands on her hips, before replying, "Jareth doesn't hate us. He's frustrated and a bit mad at Hoggle, but he doesn't hate. At least not any of us here, you included."

Hoggle silently arranged the pillows on the blanket, watching Sarah's reactions. He was slightly nervous as to how she was going to react to what Higgle was going to tell her. For all the tricks Jareth put Sarah through that day so long ago, he wasn't a bad person. Everybody but Sarah knew this, but of course, she couldn't see the real Jareth past the image of him she had created in her mind so long ago. Higgle frowned deeply as she walked over to Sarah. Looking up into the young woman's eyes, she said strongly, "Jareth is not a bad man. He's a kind and just ruler when no one is running the Labyrinth. You just refuse to believe that because of some image you created based on what society told you. Jareth may be cruel to those who deserve it, but know this, Sarah. He never would have let any harm come to you or Toby that day so long ago. He genuinely cared about you and that boy. But not only did you take his heart, you shattered it completely when you turned him down. He would have given you the world, if you only asked. The only reason why he acted the way he did with you is because that was what you wished for."

Sarah had the grace to look ashamed at Higgle's mini speech. She went to open her mouth to argue that she couldn't accept Jareth's offer because for one, she didn't know what it meant at the time, and two, she had to get her brother back. Higgle held up her hand to stop everything that Sarah was about to say and said, "Sleep on that for the night, child. Tomorrow is going to be an early day. It's the street fair tomorrow and we need to get there early to set up our table."

The two dwarves turned and went back into the house, leaving an overly confused Sarah standing dumbly behind them. She stared at the closed kitchen door for a few minutes, her mind racing with more questions than answers. A slight breeze broke her out of her trance and she lay down on the blankets, pulling one over her legs as she folded her hands behind her head and stared silently up at the stars. They were different in the Underworld, but still looked pretty all the same. His name echoed in her mind as she tried to figure out if she really had forced Jareth to act a part he wasn't like normally. She only wanted an adventure when she was 15. She didn't mean to make things happen like that. At the time she didn't even believe that the goblins were real, nor would they take Toby. It was just wishful thinking on her part. She slowly fell asleep to the sounds of the night creatures moving about. In her sleep, a blonde haired man with mismatched eyes haunted her dreams.

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Poor Sarah. She's confused now. She'll be that way for quite a while in this story, I'm afraid.

Wynter: Hush. You're going to give away the story.

Sorry, sorry. Anyways, if you liked it, please review. They help feed this hungry authoress. Until next time!

Ja!


	2. Street Fair

Whoo hoo! An update! *dances around in a happy way* It's been a while since I updated this one and I was really in the mood for it, so I figured what the heck?

I'm sorry I haven't updated very much lately. College has me bogged down and some days I don't feel like doing much of anything.

I'm not entirely happy with this chapter, cause it feels really off to me, but I've been working on it all day and I don't really want to look at it anymore. I still hope you all like it.

As usual, I do NOT own Labyrinth or the song quoted. I wish I did, cause then I'd be rich.

Enjoy!

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Street Fair

"_There's such a fooled heart, beating so fast, in search of new dreams…" David Bowie – As the World Falls Down._

"Wake up!"

The words filtered through Sarah's mind along with the hard pokes to her side. Lazily opening her eyes, she looked around and noticed that it was barely starting to get light out. There were streaks of red crossing the blue-purple sky. Her mind registered the sound of chirping birds in the forest near her and she smiled softly at that. Even some things in the Underground were the same as Aboveground. It was her first time spending the night in the Underground. Normally, she wouldn't be able to, what with it being closed off to the Aboveground unless somebody called on Jareth. But since the kingdom was putting on such a huge festival this summer, unwillingly on Jareth's part, it had been opened to the Aboveground for anyone who knew of it to join. This, of course, included Sarah. She wondered faintly if he thought she would come. Would he be looking for her, hoping to see her? Higgle's words last night echoed through her mind once more and she sighed heavily. She was so naïve, both back then, and now. Did she really make him play a part that he wasn't used to playing? The question had haunted her dreams all night. A sharp poke in her side made her roll over and look up. The source of the disturbance that woke her up turned out to be nothing more than Higgle standing over her with her hands on her hips. The female dwarf may have been smaller than her standing at normal height, but to Sarah's sleepy mind, she looked rather large. She stretched her arms above her head and a sigh of absolute contentment left her as she gazed up at the brightening sky. Despite sleeping outside, that had been the most restful night's sleep she had experienced in… well, ever, she supposed. She rarely slept that good Aboveground. Maybe it was because of where she was at… Shaking her head with a slight smile, she said, "Good morning, Higgle."

"Morning. It's time to get up. We have a lot to do today and I don't want to miss getting a good spot at the street fair today. Breakfast is already on the table, though, you might want to get up soon or else Hoggle will eat it all," the female dwarf said so seriously that Sarah actually believed her. Higgle; of course, was only kidding, but she couldn't help but find the look on the young girl's face amusing. She was forced to jump backwards when Sarah jumped to her feat and started gathering up the blankets as quickly as she could. A small voice in the dwarf's mind finally understood what it was that made Jareth so intent on tricking Sarah. If her reactions were as amusing as she was acting now, she too would play tricks on her. The smaller female laughed softly at the girl's antics.

Sarah, for her part, was too busy gathering up her blankets to realize that Higgle was joking. After graduating high school, she had moved out of her father's house and into a small two bedroom apartment with a roommate and quickly realized the importance of eating as soon as food was set out. Not that her roommate at a lot of food, the girl was as skinny as a stick and ate very little so she could stay that way. No, it was her roommate's friends that conditioned Sarah into grabbing what food she could before it all disappeared. If she didn't, there wouldn't be any left for her. Looking down into the amused face of Higgle, she stopped for a moment and asked, "What's so funny?"

"You act as if there won't be any food left in the entire house the way you're going, Sarah," Higgle said as she looked up into the girl's face. If, by some miracle, Hoggle _did_ manage to eat all of the food she made (which she doubted), then she would just make more. It wasn't like all of the food would be gone if Sarah didn't get in there right that moment.

A blush crept over Sarah's cheeks as she slowed her movements and began to carefully fold up the blankets. She couldn't help the response she had whenever something like that happened. It was just something that she did without thinking. She told herself that this wasn't college, things weren't the same here. There was no one around that was going to steal her food if she didn't get to it first. She wouldn't go hungry because she decided to stop and smell the flowers, literally, because Higgle and Hoggle would make sure to save some for her. This was the Underground. Everything was different here, and none of it what it seemed to be. That was certainly a lesson she learned when she did her run through the Labyrinth. Just as she and Higgle were about to head into the house, a noise from the forest caught their attention and they looked over at it. A beautiful white unicorn stepped out of the trees and looked directly at them. From the size and way it was holding itself, Sarah could easily tell that it was a male unicorn. It was also her first time seeing a real one and she gasped softly in surprise.

"Well, that certainly is a bit of good luck," Higgle murmured quietly from beside her. Even the dwarf seemed entranced by the mythical creature. He turned towards them and simply watched both of them. To Sarah, it seemed as if it was looking through her to her very soul. She felt exposed and naked, but not in a way that made her feel creeped out. It felt as if he were looking for something within her and her eyes widened when he neighed softly and bowed down on his front legs to her.

Her hand blindly sought Higgle's shoulder as her jaw dropped open and she stared at the unicorn. He dropped his head, a nod of acknowledgement to the Lady of the Labyrinth (even if she wasn't aware of holding the title) before rising back up and turning back into the forest. Confusion and disbelief rang through Sarah as she whispered softly, "Did that… really just happen?"

"I assure you, it did. And it wasn't me he was bowing to," Higgle said as she hitched her skirts up and turned around to go back into the house. While it wasn't surprising to_ see_ the unicorn for her, it _was_ surprising to see him bow the way he did. That meant only one thing, and a part of her felt sorry for Sarah. She had a feeling the next week was going to prove beyond a doubt Sarah's position here in this world, even if the girl refused to see it for herself. Perhaps… she shook her head. No, she doubted that the unicorn meant a sign that the king and Sarah would find happiness. It wasn't that she didn't want to believe it, it was just that, Jareth was very stubborn. He was adamant that he was never going to have a queen, no matter what the unicorns foretold. She walked towards the house, leaving Sarah to comprehend what she just said.

The poor girl was still staring at where the unicorn disappeared from and her mind kept repeating Hoggle's words in her head over and over again. If he wasn't bowing to Hoggle, then… but why would a unicorn bow to her? She wasn't anything special. She was just an ordinary girl here to enjoy the celebrations. Sure, she defeated Jareth and his labyrinth, but that didn't mean anything. Surely there were others who defeated it before her. She was just one of many that ran the Labyrinth. Shaking her head, she turned around and followed after Higgle, deciding that it was nothing more than a weird quirk of the unicorn. Either that or he mistook them for someone else. That could quite possibly be it, she thought. He just mistook them for someone important.

The two stepped into the house just moments after Hoggle sat down at the table and began helping himself to the breakfast his wife had cooked up. There were eggs (with the amount of chickens in the realm, eggs were given away free), bacon, sausage, pancakes with lavender flowers in them, several different kinds of omelets, French toast, orange juice and coffee. Sarah showed no surprise at the amount of food displayed before her. The few times Hoggle and Higgle had stayed at her house, the female dwarf had cooked a lot more food than this. The miraculous thing about that was that almost all of the food was eaten by the time the two left, leaving her with just enough for leftovers the next day. She figured it was something to do with them being dwarves. She placed the blankets next to where Higgle set the pillows and sat down at the table, proceeding to help herself to some of the different foods laying on it. The three ate in relative silence, occasionally broken by either Hoggle or Higgle with questions to each other about if something or another was ready. By the time they were done, the sun was just starting to come up over the trees and Higgle was ushering them out the door. She just barely gave Sarah time to change out of the clothes she slept in into a different pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

In front of the house stood a small gypsy type wagon loaded with various different items. A small pony horse was tied up to the front of the wagon and it stood there patiently chewing on some grass as it waited for them. Sarah climbed into the back of the wagon and situated herself between some chainmail and broad swords while Higgle and Hoggle climbed up front. When she first saw what they were to be traveling in, she asked if the small horse would be able to pull the wagon with her on it as well as the items. Hoggle assured her that Sierrya (the horse) would be more than capable of carrying her and the rest of the load. With a strong lurch, the wagon started moving forward and Sarah felt excitement bubble up inside her. They were finally on their way and she would be able to finally see what the Goblin Kingdom was like while in the midst of a festival.

It felt like hours later when they finally reached the Goblin City where the street fair was being held, but it really was only an hour. Sarah eagerly leaned out of the wagon and watched the various types of creatures move throughout the city. Higgle had pointed out earlier on their way to the city that she would be easily recognizable and had given her a head scarf to wear. It covered up her hair, but did nothing for her eyes. Higgle lamented that they would be able to do nothing about her eyes, but if she avoided looking anyone in the eye, she doubted that anyone would realize who Sarah really was. The city was already wonderfully crowded, and the day had hardly begun yet. Within minutes, they reached the area where they planned to set up their booth and Hoggle brought the wagon to a stop. Both he and Higgle jumped out of the wagon and started grabbing various things to set up with. Sarah slowly climbed out and looked around in a daze. Everything looked so different from when she was last there. It was so much brighter and livelier than she last remembered.

Before, during her run through the Labyrinth, the houses all seemed decrepit and run down. Almost as if they were falling apart. Now, all of them seemed like they were built yesterday and there were several more than she could remember. Goblins by the hundreds milled about, talking and shouting things to each other in preparation for the day. Creatures of all kinds moved between them and were setting up for the fair. She watched in awe as what appeared to be two elves walked gracefully by her, chatting with what appeared to be a centaur. Sarah had to blink and rub her eyes roughly when she noticed what was setting a booth up across from them. Turning around, she grabbed Hoggle's elbow and whispered excitedly into his ear, "Hoggle, are those hobbits across from us?"

The fox leaned to his left to see around her and looked at what she was looking at. A family of hobbits were indeed setting up a booth across from them. He looked back up at Sarah, seeing the shock and awe written on her face and frowned in confusion. He knew she hadn't encountered them in her last trip here, but surely she didn't think they weren't real? After everything she went through in the Underground, he thought she would have realized that several different kinds of creatures did indeed exist, if not in this world, in others. He shook his head and replied gruffly, "Of course they are, what did you expect? I told you, all different kinds of creatures came to celebrate this festival. Now come and give us a hand with this."

"Yeah, but I didn't think…" she trailed off as she turned her back to the family of hobbits and grabbed a box. It was lighter than it looked, and she easily walked it over to where Higgle was hanging up several different types of daggers. She looked at all of the different items they brought with fascination. Higgle and Hoggle were nothing if not dwarves, she realized now. All of the stuff they brought were metal objects ranging from chainmail, to swords, daggers, containers, jewelry, pots, pans, and various other utensils. She vaguely wondered when they would have the time to make such things, but realized that Higgle was probably the one to make most of it while Hoggle was being the king's gardener. Some of their creations were so amazingly beautiful that she figured they must cost a fortune to buy, but Hoggle explained to her that, while they looked expensive, they were selling them for rather cheap. When she asked why, they said it was because they made them to be enjoyed, not worn only once and then forgotten about.

It only took the three of them a half an hour to set up and when they were done, Sarah sat on a crate behind the two of them obediently, watching them advertise and sell their beautiful items. It appeared that the two dwarves were very popular. A large crowd had converged around the booth and creatures of all kinds were trying to haggle with each other on pieces that were being sold. The jewelry was especially popular and she watched in amazement as the pieces were being sold off rapidly. Despite that, it seemed that for every piece sold, Higgle and Hoggle would pull out another one and set it in the other's place. It amazed her just how many items had truly been brought with them. A couple hours later, Higgle turned around and presented Sarah with a bag full of various coins.

A peek inside showed that the bag was filled with gold, silver, and copper coins. Higgle explained what each piece was worth, the gold being the least valuable and the silver the most valuable. The copper coins fell in the middle and were worth five gold pieces, while the silver was worth 10 copper and 20 gold pieces. Sarah was confused as to why the gold was the least valuable, and when she asked, Higgle patiently explained that gold was a common metal in the Underground, whereas silver wasn't. So it naturally was worth more than the others. She gave Sarah instructions to explore around for around an hour, but to bring food back with her when she was done. After they ate, she could continue exploring if she wished to. She nodded her head and tucked the small bag into her pants pocket, making sure to keep a tight hold on it in case pickpockets tried to steal the money.

The street fair was well underway by now. All around her were various venders selling their wares and services. There was one booth that was selling homemade furniture made by hand, and another selling clothes specifically for Elven folk. Food venders were all around, selling everything from foods she would find in the Aboveground, to ones she had never heard of and doubted she ought to try. There were multiple jewelry booths and the more she walked, the more clothing vendors she came across. Dwarven clothes, goblin clothes, clothes for centaurs, banshees, vampires (surprisingly, they were able to walk in the sunlight in this realm) even ghouls and ghosts had clothing vendors. There were plenty of human clothing vendors as well, and one of them caught her eye. She wandered over towards it, and looked through the various pieces of clothing. They reminded her of the kinds of clothes gypsies would wear back in her world. They were bright, multicolored and beautiful. Especially the skirts. One of them, a skirt that was made of several different colors of purple with designs depicting forest animals, both real and supposedly mythical, covered the skirt. The longer she looked at it, the more she wanted it. Checking the price, she was shocked when she realized how cheap such a skirt was going for. If her calculations were correct, the skirt would only cost a single silver coin. Taking the skirt down off of the wall it was tacked to, she continued looking around. Not even ten footsteps away from where she found the skirt, she found a beautiful multicolored peasant top. She held the skirt up to the top and it looked so beautiful that she absolutely wanted to buy it.

The booth's owner, a small human girl of 14, came over and smiled knowingly from behind bright blue eyes. The skirt and shirt were two of her favorite creations, and she just knew they'd end up being sold to someone important. Even if she didn't recognize Sarah, which she did, despite the poor disguise, she would've immediately realized that the woman standing in front of her was important. Standing just behind Sarah, she said in a voice that was a soft as a bell, "Do you like them?"

Sarah whirled around in surprise, the clothes in her hands almost falling to the ground. She easily caught them and held them close, staring down at the young girl. It surprised her to see someone so young in Goblin Kingdom, but she knew better than to question it. What the girl was doing here really was none of her business, even though the urge to ask her was great. Dimly, she nodded her head as she muttered, "Ah… yeah, I do."

The girl was dressed in a similar outfit as the one Sarah was holding and she grinned in delight as she nodded. Motioning with her hand, she beckoned for Sarah to follow her. With a little bit of hesitation, the brunette followed the young girl and was led into what appeared to be a clothing shop. The young girl came to a stop in front of a door and turned back around to Sarah, a kind smile on her lips as she said, "You're welcome to try them on, if you'd like."

Sarah looked at the room and noticed it was similar to a dressing room in the Aboveground. Smiling gratefully, she stepped inside and closed the door. There was no mirror, but that didn't bother her. She didn't really like looking in mirrors anyways. After using them as a way to communicate with Hoggle and the others for years, she didn't like changing in front of them. Quickly stripping out of her jeans and t-shirt, she pulled the skirt and top on, marveling at the softness of the texture. It was a really beautiful outfit. With a deep breath, she stepped out of the dressing room so the young girl who led her there could see her. The young girl took one look at Sarah and immediately nodded in approval. She just knew the skirt and top would go to someone who would look amazing in them. Sarah went to go back in so she could change, but the girl shook her head and scooped up the brunette's clothes for her. She led her to a small counter and said, "I have a bag you can put your clothes in. Why don't you wear that for the rest of the day? It looks amazing on you."

"Thank you," Sarah replied sincerely. The outfit, combined with the head scarf Higgle had given her earlier, made her look like an authentic gypsy. She doubted that even Jareth himself wouldn't recognize her in this outfit. It was so different from what she usually wore that she thought she wouldn't even recognize herself in it. She smiled at the young girl as she handed Sarah a felt bag made out of some kind of animal skin and her change.

She didn't want to admit it out loud, but the outfit made her _feel_ amazing too. She turned and headed out of the shop and around the booth, the young girl trailing behind her. Before she got too far, the young girl called out to her just loud enough for her to hear and said, "Thank you for your purchase, Lady Sarah. I hope you enjoy the Underground this time."

She went to turn around to ask the girl how she knew who she was, but she was pulled along with the increasing crowd before she had the chance. The crowd was getting bigger and bigger as it moved a long, and Sarah found she couldn't get away from it. So she decided that she might as well go with it. Who knew, it might actually lead to somewhere exciting. Eventually the crowd came to a stop and Sarah found she had a good spot to see what was going on, being just a few people away from the front of the crowd. Everyone was chattering noisily around her and she gazed around in confusion. They all seemed to be waiting for something, and she didn't know what. A tall elf maiden with dark black hair and eyes the color of the moon came to stand next to her and she took a deep breath as she asked quietly, "Um… excuse me, but, could you tell me what's going on?"

"You mean you do not know?" the elf maiden asked as she turned her head to look at Sarah. Her voice was soft and melodic, sounding a lot like what Sarah imagined an angel to sound like. Even her movements seemed graceful and flowing like water. Her silver eyes rested on Sarah's face and she studied the human child, for that's what Sarah was to her, with an idle curiosity. A small fear filled her that the elf would recognize her, but after a few seconds, the elf merely looked away, back towards where the crowd was anxiously waiting. She spoke again quietly, but Sarah heard her perfectly clear, "They're all waiting for the king to come out."

"The king?" Sarah asked with a lump in her throat. Jareth was coming out? Oh, by all that was divine, she hoped that he wouldn't recognize her. It would be terrible if she just got here and was sent back because he saw her. Her breathing became heavy and she lost focus on everything around her. She wanted to move from where she was at, but she was cornered in by everyone. There was no escaping where she was at, and while she wasn't in the front front, she definitely was close enough that he could see her if he glanced over her way. She desperately wished she was back with Hoggle and Higgle now.

The elf maiden was oblivious to Sarah's panicking as she continued to speak, "There is a rumor going around the female population that he is going to pick out a bride this year. I do not know if it is true, but that is what I have heard. They say that the High King and Queen have been pushing King Jareth to marry for quite some time now. They do not want his older brother to get the throne, you see."

"His older brother?" Sarah asked as she was pulled out of her thoughts completely. She had no idea Jareth had a brother. Now that she thought about it, she realized she knew very little about the Goblin King. A sudden remorse set over her for not learning more about him before she came back. It would've been a very smart move to make knowing she was going to be coming back to the Underground. Learning about the one person who both excited and terrified her at the same time definitely was something she should've done before stepping a foot into his kingdom. Her mind registered the elf's other words and she was surprised to find a flash of jealousy go through her. She didn't like the thought of Jareth taking a wife that wasn't her. The rational part of her mind argued that she gave up the right to be jealous over him a long time ago, so there was no reason for her to be jealous. The part of her that was jealous promptly told her rational part to shove a sock in it and leave her to her jealousy.

"Jareth's older brother, Prince Vallen, was set to rule the kingdom his mother and father control when they died. No one is quite sure how it happened, but the story goes that Vallen came home one day from a neighboring kingdom acting different," the elf murmured softly as the crowd became more and more excited. From what Sarah could tell, it sounded like Jareth was making his way down the street towards them. She turned her attention back to the elf beside her as she spoke again, "He was much darker than he originally was. Fae, of course, do have a bit of darkness within them, but Vallen had changed. He was much darker than most fae. One day he tried to kill the High King and he was banished from the kingdom. Before he left, he vowed he would one day control the kingdom. The High King made a degree saying that only royal fae who are married could take the throne. Jareth, of course, is next in line for the throne and many people wish for him to take over it before Vallen comes back somehow. Unfortunately, without a wife, he cannot take the throne. So it has been told that this year, King Jareth will chose a wife, so he can take over the High throne whenever his parents chose to give it up."

"Oh…" was all Sarah could say to that. She turned her head back around and frowned in thought. It was a very lonely in her opinion. To be forced into a marriage just because there was no alternative? And it would be a loveless marriage at that, from the sounds of it. She couldn't imagine going through with a marriage if she didn't love the person, and that's exactly what Jareth would end up doing, from what she understood. Guilt washed over her like a tidal wave and she had to blink back her tears. She knew that he wouldn't be in this position if she had accepted his last offer. Of course, back then she had no idea what he was offering her. Plus she had to get her brother back, and she was willing to do everything it took to get him back. Including crushing the heart of the one man who had ever made her feel special. That wasn't to say that she didn't have boyfriends in between that time and now, because she did. None of them ever made her feel the way the royal fae king had done, though. A great part of her regretted turning him down, but she couldn't change the past. And even if she wanted to take back what she said, she still saw him as the evil villain who kidnapped her brother and forced her through many cruel situations. Even if Higgle's words made her think twice about that, it wasn't enough to shake the belief built up over so many years. An inaudible sigh left her as she shook her head. There wasn't much she could do about what happened now anyway. It was in the past, and she couldn't change it. Not even with Jareth's ability to rearrange time. She jerked her head up when the crowd started cheering rather loudly and her breath caught in her throat.

Jareth walked down the street proudly, a kind smile on his lips. There were no bodyguards around him to keep the crowd back, but it wasn't necessary. The crowd didn't approach him or do more than call out his name, really. She didn't see any fear among their faces, but a great amount of respect was being displayed for him. She watched as he greeted a great number of the crowd personally, often stopping and asking how so and so was doing. Her mouth dropped in awe as she watched him make his way through the crowd, not an ounce of fear being shown anywhere. It was almost as if… as if they _loved_ him. The image of the villainous fae king of her past clashed horribly with the image she was seeing now and all she could do was watch. Her heart leapt in fear when a young human child ran out of the crowd towards the king, his parents calling him back. She took a small step forward, preparing to interfere even if it cost her her time at the festival when her shock grew even more. Jareth bent down and scooped the child up in his arms, swinging him around with a laugh that even she could hear over the crowd before settling the child on his hip. The child, whom looked no older than three, laughed and smiled with the king as he was brought back to his parents, whom talked with Jareth for several more minutes, all the while the child staying in his arms.

"No matter what you previously thought of him, Sarah Williams," the elf maiden at her side murmured so quietly that only she heard her. The sound of her name caught her attention and she immediately turned to look at the elf, fear of a different kind filling her as she realized the other knew who she was. The elf paid no attention to the look on Sarah's face and simply continued to speak, "The Jareth you know, and the Jareth before you are two different people. Remember that."

Sarah swallowed hard, confusion swimming through her as she watched the elf maiden turn and walk away, the crowd easily letting her through. Almost as if drawn by a magnet, her eyes moved back to the blonde king of their own accord. She was surprised to find him staring right at her, a frown on his face as he tried to figure out who she was. His mismatched blue eyes seemed to freeze her right in her place, and she sucked in a deep breath, hoping that he wouldn't recognize who she was. Her hope was in vain, though, and she saw the recognition fill his eyes as he finally worked out who she was. The last thing she saw before she bolted from the crowd was him mouthing her name in surprise. She ran as fast as she could through the crowded streets, going back the way she came. She didn't want him to find her, because then it would all be over. Her chance to spend time in the Underground with her friends enjoying the festivities would all be finished if he was able to catch her. Unfortunately, her fastest was slowed considerably because of the thick crowd and she often ended up shoving various creatures in order to get past them, muttering apologies as she moved. The crowd slowly started to thin out and she spurred herself on, wanting, _needing_, to get away from him as quickly as she could. Her heart pounded in her chest and she stumbled over her own feet, but didn't fall. She darted around the creatures attending the street fair and practically fell on poor Higgle when she came to a stop next to the booth, her breath coming in heavy pants as the two dwarves took in her wild, frightened appearance. She stood there, one hand on the wagon as she gasped out one word, "Jareth…"

"Quick, Hoggle, get her in the wagon and take her back to the house," Higgle commanded, knowing exactly why Sarah looked so frightened. She ushered the two towards the wagon and looked down towards the way Sarah had come. In the distance, she could just make out a head of blonde hair making his way through the crowd. Faintly she wondered why he didn't teleport himself to where Sarah was, but decided to not question it too much. Sierrya, their horse, whinnied in protest at the sudden movements along the wagon, but was paid no attention to until Hoggle climbed in the front seat. With a flick of the reins, she started walking forward at a slow pace, the crowd parting to let the cart through. Higgle breathed a sigh of relief when they made it through the crowded street and on towards the gates. Turning around, she had just enough time to straighten her clothes and sit back down behind the booth when the blonde king appeared in front of her. With a polite smile, she bowed her head and said, "Good day, Your Majesty."

"Hello Higgle," Jareth said as he nodded his head in greeting, his eyes trained on the street before him. His gloved hands came to rest on his hips as he blew some hair out of his face. The dwarf couldn't help but notice how ragged his appearance seemed to be. The once immaculate shirt now looked like it had been grabbed and ripped by the hands leading to the oubliettes and his medallion was farther up on his neck than normal. The only thing that _didn't_ seem affected on him were the skin tight pants he normally wore. Narrowing his gaze, he turned and stared at the dwarf as he asked, "Where did they go?"

She watched him for a moment before patting the spot next to her invitingly. She didn't want to out Sarah, but something had to be done between the two before he went and got married to that slimy weasel of a princess from the next kingdom over. And the Labyrinth knew nothing would ever go right between the two if she didn't do something about it. The fae king reluctantly took a seat next to her and sprawled out, a crystal automatically appearing in his hands as he juggled it back and forth idly. He knew better than to demand anything from Higgle. Unlike her husband, she wasn't afraid to tell him where to stick his crystals when he got too full of himself. It was one of the reasons why she was still working in the kitchens instead of banished from the kingdom. She helped keep him level headed, surprisingly enough.

Higgle nodded her head approvingly as she sold a ring to an interested customer. Once she was done, she turned and studied the faintly annoyed king as he slouched over and tossed the crystal back and forth. If she didn't know any better, she could've sworn the fae in front of her was acting like a child who got his favorite toy taken away from him. Shaking her head in faint amusement, she said, "They're on their way to my house. _However_, before you think about going over there and demanding she see you, let me give you a piece of advice. Wait. She's still afraid of you, and if you go after her now, she'll only react harshly. Let her stay with Hoggle and I for the next few days and just continue with what you were planning on doing. We'll make her see that you're the kind, benevolent king we all know you are."

"You make me sound like my father," he said with a slight half smile. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he knew she was right. He was just so surprised to see her that his first reaction was to chase her down and ask why she was there. Belatedly he realized she was probably there because of the festival. He wondered if she knew about his searching for a bride at this festival… or if she cared that he was. He shook the thoughts from his mind and stood up, not wanting to waist the rest of his time there. While he would've liked to sit with Higgle and talk, he knew he had other things he was expected to do. He tossed the crystal up in the air and it disappeared as he turned to look down at the dwarf, "I'm having a ball on the fifth day of the festival. Try to convince her to come."

"Yes, my Lord," she replied with a nod of her head. She watched as he turned and walked back the way he came, a noticeable spring in his step. An amused smile crossed her lips as she shook her head and turned back to the ever growing crowd of people wanting to buy her wares. Perhaps there would be hope for those two yet, she thought.

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Wheeeee! Long chapter!

A lot longer than the last one.

Anyway, if you like it, don't forget to review and tell me so. If you don't like it, you're also welcome to review and tell me so. Just be warned that I like to use flames to make my dinners with.

Jaa!


	3. Underground Orphanage

Yay! Another chapter up! And it only took 7 days to do it, too! *dances around in happiness* I'm happy I was able to get this chapter out so quickly. I didn't want to leave it go for another couple of months before I updated, so I pushed myself to finish writing this. I'm happy to say, it practically wrote itself. It did give me a little trouble towards the end, but I like to think I wrangled it into submission.

I apologize if the end comes off as being a little bit rushed. If it does seem like that, please let me know. I hate it when my stories seem rushed. I also apologize if the characters seem OOC. I'm trying hard for them to not be.

Jareth and Higgle's connection to each other will be revealed in a later chapter. It will explain a lot though.

Any mistakes are my own.

Once again, I do NOT own Labyrinth or the song lyrics used. This was done for fun because I absolutely love that movie and the songs. I made absolutely no money off of this. The only thing I get is the enjoyment from knowing others love it.

Enjoy!

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Underground Orphanage

"_Life can't be easy. It's not always swell. Don't tell me truth hurts, little girl, because it hurts like hell." – David Bowie – Underground_

The next day dawned bright and early, but Sarah was already awake long before the birds even decided to chirp. She had slept very little that night, her mind constantly returning back to Jareth and his expression yesterday when he recognized her. He was surprised, that much was easy to see. And why wouldn't he? She defeated his labyrinth, said _those words_ to him, and quite literally disappeared from his life all together. The only connection she had remaining to the Labyrinth was Hoggle, Higgle, Sir Didymus, and Ludo. Sure, some goblins paid her a visit every now and then, and the fiery gang showed up a few times (often trying to pull her head off _still_), but it wasn't like she ever saw _him_. If it weren't for her friends, she would've thought it all a dream. A nice, dangerous dream, but a dream nonetheless. So his surprise at seeing her was to be expected. But there was something else in his eyes, something she couldn't name that surprised _her._ She spent most of the night staring up at the stars trying to figure him out. She had very little success with it though, and she doubted she'd be able to figure him out even if he was right in front of her and talking to her. First he kidnapped her brothers, forced her to go through his labyrinth, stole three hours of his time, sent the cleaners after her, almost dumped her into the Bog of Eternal Stench, danced with her in the ballroom, and finally… a small sigh escaped her as she sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees. Back when she was 15, she didn't understand what he was offering her. Now that she was older…

She understood perfectly what he was offering. But it wasn't like she could've just accepted! She had to save her brother. And she was _15_. _Talk about cradle robbing_, she thought to herself with a soft snort. Back then she hardly understood the notion of marriage and forever, which, according to him, wasn't very long at all. A tiny smile appeared on her face at that thought and she sighed again. She came back here, knowing full well that she might run into him. She expected the kingdom to cower in fear whenever he was around and serve his every whim. She didn't expect the people to love him. The very last thing she thought this kingdom would do around him was love him. She _certainly_ did not expect Higgle to defend him as adamantly as she did, especially after everything he did to Hoggle. It was all so confusing for her. After furiously rubbing her hands through her hair in frustration, she got up and started to fold the blankets up neatly. Higgle would be out any moment to get her so they could go back into town. At first she was leery of spending the day in the city, what with Jareth knowing she was there. She was afraid he would find her and kick her back to the Aboveground for daring to step foot in his kingdom again. Higgle assured her that the king would do no such thing, and if it made her feel better, that he was going to be visiting the only orphanage the Underground had.

Now that had surprised Sarah greatly. She had no idea there was an orphanage in the Underground. She thought for sure that all of the children Jareth took were turned into goblins. The female dwarf explained that only some of the children get turned into goblins, and they were usually children from really bad homes. Being turned into a goblin allowed them to forget about everything that occurred during their time Aboveground. They were able to retain their innocent, childlike nature and live their lives happily. Sarah, of course, never considered that turning into a goblin could be a good thing. But hearing that now, she could finally understand why they acted the way they did. Higgle explained that most of the Fae population in the kingdom had an extreme prejudice against humans, even if the major responsibility of their king was to take the children. In her opinion, she believed it was because the Fae were jealous of mankind's ability to reproduce easily. Fae, it turned out, could not reproduce as naturally, and it made them jealous, cruel creatures towards humans. Of course, not all children in the orphanage were human. There were quite a few children from other species as well. Higgle listed off some of the creatures that were there the last time she went to Sarah. Among them were a few centaur foals, unicorn foals, minotaurs, kittens, puppies, and even two fae children that she remembered. It wasn't a normal Aboveground orphanage either.

An Underground orphanage didn't just give parentless children a place to stay. It was a lot like a boarding school in actuality. It was the way Jareth had set it up, apparently. All of this was on Sarah's mind as she folded the blankets. It was the complete opposite of what she knew about Jareth from her encounter with him. During her run, he seemed like a cold, ruthless villain to her. But now… she was hearing all sorts of things that were proving that image wrong, and she wasn't sure what to think about it. Just as she finished folding the last blanket, the back door opened and Hoggle stepped through, a grumpy look on his face as he said, "Breakfast is ready."

"I'll be right in," she said with a small smile and a nod. Hoggle merely grunted at her and turned around to head back inside. He definitely wasn't a morning dwarf, she thought. It amused her greatly whenever she saw Hoggle first thing in the morning. As grumpy as he was, she still managed to find some amusement out of the situation. Her mind turned towards more pleasant memories as she picked up all of the folded blankets and pillows, the day already seeming brighter and more exciting. A soft hum flowed from her as she started to walk towards the house, her emerald green eyes growing happier by the minute. She was only a handful of steps away from the door when she heard a twig snap from behind her. Dropping the blankets, she whirled around; terrified that it might be Jareth behind her. Any argument within her died the moment her eyes landed on the beautiful white unicorn from the day before.

It stood there, on the edge of the forest, simply gazing at her. Its crystal clear blue eyes watching her with far more interest than she thought she deserved. She was frozen in her spot, not because of fear, but because she didn't want to make a move and frighten the amazing creature away. She wanted to commit the creature's beauty to memory, that way, when she went back to the Aboveground, she could look back and recall fondly how she had seen a unicorn. She watched in a strange kind of awe as the creature slowly walked towards her, its eyes never moving from hers. When it was less than 20 hoof steps from her, it stopped and tilted its head, simply looking at her with a faint expression of amusement. How she could tell that the unicorn was amused was beyond her, but that was the feeling that she was getting. Now that it was closer, she could clearly see that it was holding something carefully in its mouth, and it was this that caused her to move closer. The unicorn did nothing more than flick an ear at her movement and seemed to wait, almost as if it wanted to see how close she was willing to come. Swallowing nervously, she finally came to a stop right in front of the creature, looking up into its face with an expression of complete wonder on her face. The unicorn seemed to give a faint nod of approval before moving its head towards her hand, nudging whatever it was in its mouth into her palm. She lifted her hand and it dropped its prize into her hand, moving back only slightly to watch her reaction.

Looking down at her hand, she frowned in confusion at the item resting safely inside it now. It was a necklace in the shape of an owl. But what was so strange about this necklace was that the owl had a peach clutched in one claw and a star in the other. She looked up at the unicorn, a frown on her face as she whispered out softly, "What…?"

The unicorn snorted softly and butted its nose against her forehead gently. Slowly, so as to not scare the creature, she reached up and lightly began to scratch its nose. It gave a soft whinny of happiness when she scratched on spot in particular and she couldn't help smiling. Even though she was still confused about the necklace, she couldn't help but feel awed that she was touching a unicorn. Just as she went to scratch between its eyes, the back door slammed open and startled them both. The unicorn backed up several paces and leapt up onto its back legs, a loud neigh echoing across the field before it turned and darted away into the woods. The thick foliage quickly covering up all traces of the unicorn being there, and the only thing that kept Sarah from believing it was a dream was the necklace still resting in her palm. She slowly wrapped her hand around it and held it to her heart, somehow knowing it was very important and she had to protect it. Turning around, she saw a stunned Hoggle standing in the doorway, his jaw dropped open as he gazed at the spot where the unicorn once was. With a small, nervous chuckle, she scooped up the blankets and headed inside, making sure to not look the small dwarf in the eye as she wasn't quite ready to explain what just happened.

Breakfast wasn't as nearly as large as it was the day before, consisting mainly of waffles, eggs, and bacon, but Sarah enjoyed it nonetheless. She and Higgle chatted back and forth while Hoggle remained silent, glancing at her every now and then out of the corner of his eye. For the most part, Sarah ignored the looks of confusion he was giving her and simply relaxed as her mood became even happier. It was only after the dishes were put away did she realize she wouldn't be getting out of what happened for much longer. Higgle placed her hands on her hips and looked firmly at Sarah as she said, "Okay, what happened out there?"

"Umm… I'm not entirely sure…" she said as she fingered the necklace in her pocket. There was a deep need in herself to keep it close, even if she didn't know what it meant. She didn't want it to be away from her at all, and it wasn't something she could exactly explain. All she knew was that she needed the necklace to be on her at all times, even if it was a little weird.

"I'll tell ya what happened," Hoggle said as he laid his stood up abruptly and focused his gaze onto her. There was confusion and a slight amount of awe in his eyes and placed his hands on the table and continued, "She was outs there petting a unicorn, that's what!"

"The same one from yesterday?" Higgle asked as she turned her gaze away from her husband onto Sarah. She waited patiently until Sarah nodded before sighing. While normally seeing a unicorn was considered good luck, she couldn't help but feel a little bit worried now. When it came to Sarah, absolutely nothing went the way it was supposed to go. And having a unicorn appear two days in a row worried her. Shaking her head, she said, "It's very rare for a unicorn to let anyone pet it. Seeing a unicorn is unusual in its own right, but they never let anyone pet them. It's considered beneath them, which is why they don't do it. Something is up for it to willingly let you pet it, Sarah."

Sarah looked down at her food, her eyes confused, but not afraid. What reason did she have? It was a unicorn, not some other creature. From everything she remembered about unicorns, she knew they weren't harmful creatures. They were creatures of light, love, and peace. Despite the sharp horns on their heads, they did not like to hurt others. Of course, the little voice in her head chose that moment to remind her of where she was. Nothing was ever what it seemed in the Labyrinth. With a start, she realized that the same could be applied to its king. Was he really the cruel, ruthless king she thought he was? Her mind and heart argued with each other for several heartbeats. Her mind refused to believe he was anything else, and it constantly presented her with the evidence of the last time she was there. Her heart, on the other hand, argued fiercely that he wasn't what he seemed to be, and that she had no right to judge him when she barely _knew_ him. With a soft frown, she realized that she was unconsciously rubbing her finger over the necklace in her pocket. Pulling it out, she looked down at it in confusion. Why did she feel so drawn to this symbol?

"Where did yous get that?" Hoggle asked sharply when he saw her pull it out. The sudden tone made Sarah jerk her head up and look at him startled. She had never heard that tone come out of Hoggle's mouth before, and it honestly startled her.

"The ah… the unicorn gave it to me," she said after a moment, feeling slightly silly for admitting that. Given everything that had happened, however, it sounded less silly than it felt for her. Hoggle held his hand open to her, the silent question of asking if he could see it abundantly clear to her. The moment she set it in his palm and let go, she wanted to snatch it back and hiss at him. She did neither of those things, however, but she did ponder why she felt that way.

Meanwhile, the dwarf looked the necklace over front to back, turning it over in his hands several times. He focused on the image intently, a noticeable frown on his face. His reaction to the necklace made Sarah curious. It was just a necklace, wasn't it? It wasn't like there was anything special about it. It certainly didn't glow or anything like that. Hoggle grunted softly before he looked up at her and asked, "Do you have any idea what this necklace is, Sarah?"

She shook her head, confused. It was just a necklace. Yeah, sure, the owl reminded her of Jareth in his avian form, and the peach brought up things she'd rather not remember, but it wasn't a huge deal, or so she thought. Besides, she was an Abovegrounder. It wasn't like she was expected to know what every little symbol in the Underground meant. She wasn't their queen. She was just… Sarah. Hoggle handed her back the necklace as he said, "That is Jareth's personal seal."

"His personal…" she murmured softly. Looking down at the necklace now safely back in her hands, she frowned, ignoring the feelings of relief that swept over her once it was back in her hands. Her mind traveled on a different path and she became even more confused than she already was. A memory flashed through her mind, making her remember the first time she saw Jareth. The horned shaped medallion sticking out in her mind vividly from around his neck. Looking back up, she asked, "Wait, but I thought the medallion he always wears was his crest?"

"The medallion is the crest of the Goblin King and the kingdom," Higgle supplied from next to the kitchen stove where she was cooking more eggs. She cracked two eggs at the same time and dumped them into the sizzling frying pan as she explained, "That necklace you're holding is Jareth's seal from before he became Goblin King. He still uses it from time to time when corresponding with friends or family."

"Why would I…?" she said as her gaze automatically fell back down to the necklace. Goodness, she couldn't get any more confused, could she? Still, she had a legitimate reason to be confused. A unicorn gave her a necklace with the personal crest of the king attached to it. How much more confusing could a situation be, she wondered. Higgle was right about what she said earlier. Even she couldn't deny that something strange was occurring. She'd be a fool to try and deny that, especially being in the Underground. Everything in that kingdom happened for a good reason, and it often left people confused and disoriented. That was exactly how she was feeling at that current moment.

"I don't know," Higgle said as she added a few more eggs to the pan and a few pieces of bacon. She couldn't say with any more clarity than Hoggle what the purpose of the necklace was supposed to serve. She harbored a guess as to what it could mean, but she didn't want to say out loud. After all, Sarah still hated Jareth, so telling her what she thought it could mean would only frighten the girl. And if that foolish fae hoped to have any type of chance with the girl, her silence would be needed. For now, anyway. Shrugging her shoulders, she continued, "Keep it with you, in any case. Just to be on the safe side."

Sarah nodded and she stuck it back into her pocket. She would have to find a safe spot to keep it later when she had more time. Right then they had enough time to finish their breakfast before heading back into the city. Because of her scare yesterday, they were only able to sell half of the goods they brought with them that morning. She felt bad for that and tried to apologize several times, but both dwarves waved her off, merely saying that what they didn't sell yesterday, they'd make up for today. Once their breakfast was finished, all three of them piled back into the wagon and headed into the city. Sarah's nervousness climbed with each minute they got closer to the city. She was terribly afraid that Jareth would be waiting at the gate, despite Higgle's assurances that he wouldn't be. Her heart sounded very loud as it beat in her chest, and she was sure both Higgle and Hoggle could hear it. The two dwarves paid no never mind to her frantic state of being. In fact, they were eagerly chatting away about what they were going to do once the street fair was over. Before long, and a lot quicker than it really was, they reached the city and Sarah had to resist the urge to hide in the wagon as the approached the gate. The wagon started to slow and fear swamped her as she peeked out around the edge of the wagon.

Her fear melted away completely at what, or rather who she saw and she eagerly climbed out of the wagon and hopped down onto the ground. The two talking to Hoggle had only her excitedly laughter as their warning before being wrapped up into a tight hug. As tight of a hug as she could give a giant beast, anyway. Tears coursed down her face as she let go of them both, ignoring the yells from others behind them as she said happily, "Ludo! Sir Didymus! It's so wonderful to see you both!"

Twin voices, one deep and one light rang out as she was swept up into another hug, this one given willingly on all three of their parts. Sir Didymus was caught in between Sarah and Ludo as the two smaller ones were hugged fiercely by the big creature. Not that Sarah or Sir Didymus really cared. The two were both happily hugging each other while being hugged by Ludo. Once they were released, all three of them began talking at once, asking each other how they were doing, how great it was to see them, and how much they missed each other. It would've been a beautiful reunion of friends, had the guard not come over and ushered them through the gate. The three walked along beside the wagon as they chatted excitedly and quickly about what had happened in their lives since they last saw each other. Which, considering the fact that she was able to call them through her mirror at home, wasn't as long as it could've been. In fact, the last time she talked to the both of them was mere days before she left for the Underground and the festival. Still, a lot _had_ happened since she showed up in the Underground. She told the two of them everything that happened, keeping only to herself her thoughts about Jareth. Even though they were her friends, she wasn't quite ready to share that with them just yet.

"My lady, art thou safe with the king knowing your presence is here?" Sir Didymus asked formally. For the longest time, Sarah had tried to get the small fox to call her Sarah, but he refused. He said she was a lady and therefore should be treated as such. It was so like the knight to say something like that, and she eventually gave in. What harm could it do, anyway, if she let him call her that? It's not like he really meant anything by it, or so she thought.

"The king won't bother her," Higgle spoke up from the wagon. They all, at one point or another, tried to get her to explain what she meant by that. The female dwarf refused to explain what was going on, however, so the group eventually gave up. It made Sarah wonder what the connection between the old dwarf and Jareth were. Something must have happened between them the day before, how else would Higgle know that he wouldn't bother them? There _must_ be some kind of special connection between the two of them. She could hardly picture his Royal Highness listening to anybody. _But you hardly know him, so how do you know if he'd listen to anyone?_ A little voice in the back of her mind reminded her.

Ludo noticed the intense look of concentration on her face as she argued with herself and stopped next to her, causing Sir Didymus to crash right into him from behind. He wracked his brain to try and find the right human words to ask her if she was okay. The giant monster lowered his big shaggy head and asked Sarah slowly, "Sawah… okay…?"

The sound of his voice jerked Sarah from her thoughts and she looked around for a moment, startled to realize that they had already made it to the booth where Hoggle and Higgle planned to set up. Everyone was looking at her, mirrored looks of concern on their faces as they waited for her response. A small smile crossed her lips as she patted Ludo's arm and replied, "I'm fine, Ludo. Just lost in my thoughts."

"Say, Sarah…" Hoggle said slowly as he stopped the wagon. The two climbed out and everyone proceeded to grab a few boxes off of the wagon and set them next to the booth. Hoggle gave a small grunt as he set down a particularly heavy box and turned to face the young brunette human, "Why don't yous spend the day with Sir Didymus and Ludo? Wes can cover the booth just fine today."

"Are you sure?" Sarah asked as she set a box down next to the one Ludo dropped onto the ground. The big monster sometimes wasn't aware of his own strength and had a tendency to drop things every now and then. He had dropped enough of the things in her room to know. Thankfully, nothing in the boxes was breakable, since most of it was made out of metal and cloth. Straightening up, she dusted her hands off as she continued, "I mean, it wouldn't be a problem for me to hang around and help."

"Nah, chicky," Higgle said as she began to open the boxes and pull things out of them. The first box she opened contained several ornate daggers in their sheaths. They were made of the finest silver and gold that Sarah had ever seen. When she asked Higgle about them, the dwarf explained that they were all complete silver, complete gold, or a mix of the two. As far as the dwarf new, swords made out of iron or steel were not allowed in the Underground, with obvious reasons. She placed them carefully onto the booth and continued, "We'll be fine here without you for a while. Go have fun. Explore a little bit more, since your exploration was cut off so suddenly yesterday."

"If you're sure…" she murmured softly, to which both dwarves grunted an affirmative to her. Shrugging her shoulders, she turned to Ludo and Sir Didymus and smiled. It had been a while since she had last spent time with them, so it would be nice to do so now. Placing her hands on her hips she said, "Shall we go then?"

"Certainly, my lady. Ambrosius! Ambrosius! Oh, where did he go…?" Sir Didymus said as he looked around for his noble canine steed. The old English sheepdog which normally stuck to Didymus' side like glue (unless they were in a fight) was nowhere to be seen at first. They looked all around the wagon and the booth for the dog, but he just wasn't anywhere near there. Sarah looked up and down the street when she spotted him trotting towards them with a giant dog bone in his mouth, his tail wagging back and forth happily. She grabbed Didymus' shoulder and turned him towards Ambrosius as she pointed. The relief in the old fox's voice almost made her laugh as he said, "Ambrosius! There you are. What do you have in your mouth? Oh, never mind. Come, let's go. We ride!"

Sarah could not hold back the giggle that left her as he climbed up on Ambrosius, who was still wagging his tail and holding onto his bone. It was quite the comical scene, but something she had gotten used to in all the years she had known the strange group of creatures. The four of them took off down the road, being mindful of the various venders setting up and selling their wares. They spent most of the day exploring the area, looking at the various items up for sale and having a fun time together. After grabbing lunch at an exotic food booth, the four decided to play tag. It was a little difficult with Ludo's size, but once the people around them realized what they were doing, they eagerly joined in on the game, either helping them get away from the chaser, or preventing them from escaping. It was the most fun Sarah had had in quite a while. They eventually got split up and Sarah wandered around on her own, keeping an eye out for them so she could run if she saw either one of them. She had just started to look at a pair of elven made earrings when she heard Sir Didymus' voice through the crowd talking to Ambrosius. Looking around quickly, she noticed an alleyway and she ducked inside of it quickly, just in time to see Sir Didymus trot by on Ambrosius. Sighing in relief, she turned and slowly walked through the alleyway, taking the time to catch her breath as she walked. She reached the end of the alleyway and paused when a group of children ran by her. A tall older woman walked slowly behind them as she called out, "Okay, children! Gather round, King Jareth is going to tell you all a story."

The mention of his name had Sarah backing up into the shadows of the alleyway in fright. If he saw her… She saw him sit down on the side of the street, right in the dirt and both her eyebrows rose up as far as they could, the sight of him doing something so common shocking her. The children gathered around him, some climbing right up into his lap, as they all chattered excitedly, waiting for the precious story he would tell. Unbeknownst to Sarah, story time with the king was one of the orphanage's favorite activities. It made them feel special, knowing the king was willing to take time out of his schedule to see them. A few of the children old enough to remember the times before they were wished away couldn't help but to think how wonderful their lives had become now that they lived Underground, even if it was in an orphanage. Sarah crept closer to them, still remaining in the shadows, as Jareth asked them all if they were ready. A chorus of yeses and all sets rang out as the children settled down to listen. Jareth nodded his head as he got comfortable himself and began to tell his story. His voice floated out over Sarah like a cool wave on a hot day. She leaned against one of the walls and listened as he spoke, "A long time ago, there was a young 15 year old girl. She lived happily with her father, step-mother, and step-brother, or so it seemed. You see, this girl was a very selfish and spoiled girl. She resented her step-mother and hated her step-brother, even though he was only 2 years old. To her, it seemed like they were always taking up her father's attention, and she hated that. The thing she hated the most, though, was how they seemed to take up her time acting out scenes from her favorite stories. The girl loved nothing more than to go to the park with her dog and act out scenes from stories she read. She was very good at acting, too, and eventually she attracted the attention of a king. Now this king was a benevolent king of another world. He was a kind king, taking unwanted children and giving them new homes, much like I do. He was also very handsome, and very young. While he was kind and generous, he was also young and foolish. He mistakenly believed he could have anything he ever wanted, including the young girl who caught his eye with her beautiful acting. So when the girl wished away her step-brother, he did everything he knew to try and keep the girl in his kingdom with him."

The memories rushed at Sarah with a clarity that she hadn't expected. It seemed as if it were only yesterday she was facing him in her parent's bedroom, shaking fearfully from his overwhelming presence, but still determined to get her brother back. She unconsciously took a step back as her eyes closed vainly against the memories as they overflowed in her mind. Without watching where she was stepping, she didn't see the garbage can right behind her. She stepped backwards and fell as she stumbled over the can. It made a loud crashing sound and she tumbled to the ground, landing hard on her butt. A muffled curse passed her lips as she gingerly rubbed her butt. She was too busy cursing herself out to notice the sound of voices drawing near. It was only when she heard Jareth's voice that she looked up startled, "Stay here, I'll see what it was."

She quickly stood up and started running in the opposite direction, intending to dart out of the alleyway before he saw her. She didn't count on Ludo lumbering right in front of the exit and stopping. Skidding to a halt in the middle of the alleyway, she stared at her friend hopelessly. He wouldn't know what she was running from. He would simply assume that she was running to avoid being tagged. And while he was big, Ludo could be quite fast when he wanted to. She looked around wildly, searching for a place to hide, but knew it was fruitless when Jareth walked partially into the alleyway. His gaze landed on the trash can for a moment before looking down the length of the alleyway and noticing her. Her eyes met his mismatched ones and she froze, worry coursing through her rapidly. For a moment, neither of them moved. They simply stood there and looked at each other, not daring to do anything in case the other was simply an illusion. The sound of a child running broke them out of their stupor and she swallowed hard as he took a step forward and called out to her, "Sarah…?"

Her heart and mind both agreed that she wasn't ready to talk to him. It was still too soon in her mind, and her heart agreed that it wasn't prepared enough to see him. A little part of her suspected she would never be ready to talk to him, but it was quickly ignored in favor of making a decision. It was him or Ludo, and at that moment, she would've rather deal with Ludo. At the very least, he would catch her and she could convince him to leave with her quickly. If Jareth caught her… a shiver of fear and excitement went through her. She decided she would ponder over those feelings later. Right then, she wanted to get as far as she could from him. Tearing her eyes away from him, she turned on her heel and dashed off towards Ludo. The giant monster didn't see her until the last moment possible and she bolted past him into the crowd, earning more than one confused and angry remark from people. Jareth took another step forward, preparing to chase after her and catch her before she got too far. A small hand grabbed at his sleeve and he stopped moving, looking down into the emerald green eyes of a young boy. The boy stared up at him fearlessly and asked in a quiet voice, "Umm… Did the king and the girl end up together, your majesty?"

"Not in this story, I'm afraid," Jareth replied as he kneeled down and scooped the young boy up in his arms. Chasing after Sarah could wait, he supposed. Right then he had a story to finish and a group of children to look after. With any luck, he would see her in 2 days time anyway. He would be patient. They would speak soon, if he had his way about it. Settling the young boy on his hip, he turned and walked back out into the street as he said, "That could change, though. The young girl and the king could still find happiness, if only the fates were to allow it…"

Sarah stopped running a few blocks away, bending over as she gasped for air. Turning her head, she looked over her shoulder and sagged in relief when she saw that no one was following her. That was the second time she had run from Jareth since going to the festival. She knew he would eventually catch her, and she found it slightly exciting and worrisome at the same time. What would he do when he caught her? Would he get angry or would he kick her out without talking to her? A part of her doubted that either of those would happen. The look on his face when he saw her in the alleyway passed through her mind and she frowned. He seemed so… happy to see her. Was he really angry at her, she wondered. Could it all have been in her imagination? Slowly, she started walking as she pondered over those thoughts and her reaction to him. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't see Sir Didymus until he spoke to her, "My lady, art thou okay?"

"Oh!" she gasped in surprise as she stopped walking and turned to face him. The fox was sitting on Ambrosius right next to her, concern in his tiny eyes. Sighing inaudibly as she banished her thoughts to the back of her mind, she nodded as she said, "Oh, yes, I'm alright. I just gave myself a little bit of fright, that's all. I'll be fine."

"If my lady is sure…" Sir Didymus said uncertainly, not being entirely convinced of her words. He had seen the look of fright on her face when she stopped running a few moments before. It seemed to him that she was running from something quite frightening, and he had a faint clue as to what, or whom to be exact. Still, he didn't question it. If Lady Sarah said she was alright, then who was he to question her word?

Sarah saw the lingering concern in his gaze and she smiled as reassuringly as she could. Granted, it probably wasn't as convincing as it could've been, but it seemed to suffice for him, for he simply turned and started to look down the street for Ludo. She slowly began to relax as the time went by, the realization that he wasn't chasing after her setting in. Squaring her shoulders, she looked at the fox knight and said, "Why don't we find Ludo and go visit with Hoggle and Higgle? I could use a small sit break right now."

"Certainly, my lady. I am sure my brother Ludo is around here somewhere," he said as they started walking forward, searching for the giant monster. Sarah knew they were heading in the opposite direction from where she last saw Ludo, but she didn't say anything. She didn't want to risk encountering Jareth, even in if it meant taking longer to find Ludo. She struck up a conversation with Didymus as they walked, grateful for the distraction. In the back of her mind, she couldn't help but puzzle over her reaction to the fae king.

* * *

And there we have it! I keep making poor Sarah even more confused... I can't help it, it's just so much fun!

I'll hopefully have the next chapter up in a week or so. If you like it, or don't like it, please review and tell me so! Flames will be used to help keep me warm.

Jaa!


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